Tobacco pipe



Aug. 22,1944.

R. E. SADTLER TOBACCO PIPE Filed Jan. 4, 1944 glwuem/bom I Patented Aug.22, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFER TOBACCO PIPE- Robert E. Sadtler,Ridley Park, Pa. Application January 4, 1944, Serial No. 516,993

8 Claims.

This invention relates generally to the class of tobacco and pertainsparticularly to improvemerits in the various forms of smoking, moreespecially in the present application to pipe smoking.

Ihe various forms of smoking, such as cigars, cigarettes, and pipes allinvolve the disadvantageous features of re-smoking, by which is meant aburning of collected, condensed material resulting from the combustionof the tobacco, after the burning of the body of tobacco has maintainedfor a While.

' This condition is brought about as follows:

In pipe smoking, for example, the normally formed products ofcombustion, such as water, carbon dioxide, tars, essential oils, etc,are drawn through the charge of unburned tobacco tothe' bottom of thepipe bowl and then up through the stem to the'mouth of the smoker. Suchnormal products are formed from the burning of the fresh tobacco andproduce a pleasant and agreeable smoke. However, in passing throughthetobacco charge they become absorbed in part and form a progressivelythickening or soggy mass and, as the smoking progresses, are reburned,producing disagreeable and undesirable decomposition products. Suchproducts become increasingly-more disagreeable as the smoking continuesuntil the tobacco mass becomes so moist or soggy that the pipe can nolonger be kept lighted.

As will be readily understood two conditions bring about this moistcondition. First, the moisture produced by the normal combustion inbeing drawn through the tobacco 'is absorbed thereby until the tobaccobecomes "saturated and, secondly, after saturation obtains, the moisturestill being produced by the combustion, condenses in the'stem of thepipe and flows back into the pipe bowl, unless some provision is madefor its removal, which in the majority of pipes is not the case. Evenif'provision is made to prevent this back flow, it will not eliminatethe formation of moisture by the combustion or its absorption by thetobacco to thepoin't of saturation as it is drawn through the tobaccowith the resultant re-smoking and generation of disagreeabledecomposition products. u

While reference has been made particularly to pipe smoking and thedisagreeable results of drawing theproducts of combustion through thetobacco charge, it will be readily recognized how the same action willoccur in the smoking of cigars and cigarettes, although possibly not tothe same extent.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a smokingdevice by which the above described undesirable re-smoking eiiect isavoided and the smoker is assured of a fragrant and sweet smoke.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a smoking devicewhich is constructed in a novel manner whereby the products ofcombustion are removed before they have had a chance to pass through anyconsiderable amount of the unburned tobacco, whereby condensation of theproducts or an appreciable portion thereof is avoided.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved andnovel smoking device which is so constructed that the smoke bearing theproducts of combustion is immediately drawn away from the unburnedtobacco to pass to the mouth of the smoker without losing any partthereof by condensation in the tobacco, whereby the smoker is assured ofa sweet smoke by reason of the fact that the tobacco remains in itsoriginal condition and the described re-smoking action cannot occur.

The invention as applied to a smoking pipe will be best understood froma consideration of the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, it being understood, however,that the invention is not to be confined to a strict conformity with theshowing of the drawing but may be modified within the scope of theappended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side constructed to illustrate one out the presentinvention.

Figure 2 is a vertical, longitudinal section through the bowl and aportion of the stem of the pipe of Figure 1, showing the adjustment fordrawing products of combustion oii from the upper part of a burningtobacco charge.

Figure 3 is a section corresponding to Figure 2, and showing theadjustmentfor drawing products of combustion off from the bottom of a tobacco charge.

Figure 4 is a section taken on line i of Figure 2. y

- In carrying out the present invention as applied to a smoking pipethere is shown in the drawing, in Figure l, a smoking pipe which isgenerally designated P and which comprises the usual bowl IE! and stem II.

As is shown in Figures 2 and 3 the lower pari of the bowl has formedtherein a relatively narrow vertical port l2 which is tapered outwardlyelevation of a pipe manner of carrying and downwardly to open at theconstricted end thereof into the bore l3 of the pipe stem. The port [2is of rectangular cross section in a vertical plane as can be seen fromFig. 4. This port extends across the angle between the bottom part ofthe pipe bowl and the stem and the bottom wall or floor of the port issubstantially straight and forms a continuation of the bottom M of thetobacco chamber of the pipe bowl.

Fitted into the port I2 is a valve plug I5 which is of a width to snuglyengage between the sides of the port but is of less height than theport. The inner side of this plug is curved or shaped to conform to theshape of the tobacco chamber as indicated at 16. The valve plug islikewise of rectangular cross section in any vertical plane therethroughand its width is approximately the same as that of the port l2 so as tohave a close fit therein, as shown in Fig. 4. Also, as is shown inFigures 2, 3', and 4, the height of the valve plug is considerably lessthan that of the port l2, taken in the same vertical plane. Thus it canbe seen that the valve plug is adapted for sliding movement in the portI2.

Connected with the top part of the plug I5 by the swivel I1 is anadjusting screw l8 which is threaded in the bowl of the pipe and extendsthrough the portion between the bowl and the stem to the outside, theaxis of the screw being positioned at an angle of 45 with respect toboth the axis of the bowl and the axis of the stem. On its outer end thescrew has a head 19 by which it may be rotated. Through the medium ofthe screw the plug l5 can be raised from seated position upon the bottomof the port l2 as it is shown in Figure 2, to raised position againstthe top wall of the port as shown in Figure 3. Since, as previouslystated, both the port l2 and the valve plug I6 are of rectangular shapeand the latter is of lesser height than the former, when the valve plugis in seated position there will be formed above same an opening ofrectangular cross section comprised by the upper end and side walls ofthe port l2 and the top edge of the valve plug; likewise when the valveplug is in raised position there will be formed below same an opening ofrectangular cross section comprised by the lesser end and side walls ofthe port [2 and the bottom edge of the valve plug.

When the plug is in the lowered position in which it is shown in Figure2, there is formed the oblique smoke passage 20 which leads fromsubstantially the transverse center of the tobacco chamber into the borel3 while, when the plug is in fully raised position as shown in Figure3, this passage is closed and there is formed the bottom smoke passage2| which leads directly from the bottom of the tobacco chamber into theend of the bore. Again by virtue of the rectangular cross sectionalshapes of both the port [2 and the valve plug 16, as previouslydescribed, it will be seen that both the upper smoke passage 20 and thebottom smoke passage 2i are likewise of rectanguar cross sectionalshape.

With the arrangement shown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, it will be seenthat when the pipe bowl is filled and ready for smoking, if the plug I5is in the lowered position as it is shown in Figure 2 and as it shouldbe, the smoke and products of combustion will be drawn off from the bowlafter passing through only the upper half of the tobacco charge insteadof passing through the entire mass of tobacco as it does in a pipe ofthe usual form. In this way the smoke is drawn off before any materialquantity of mois ture and other products of combustion are formed.

After the fire level has reached the upper end of the passage l2 thenthe plug I5 is raised to the position shown in Figure 3 so as to producethe bottom smoke passage 2|, through which the smoke may pass into thebowl. Such condensed matter as may have formed in the upper part of thetobacco charge will then be left behind and the smoker will have anentirely fresh quantity of tobacco to smoke in the lower half of thebowl.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent how the invention may besatisfactorily applied to a smoking pipe whereby there will be avoidedthe development of the undesirable and disagreeable conditions attendantupon the smoking of a pipe of the usual or ordinary construction whereall of the smoke passes through the entire underlying body of tobacco.There is also avoided the necessity of using the various contrivanceswhich have been devised for preventing the drawing into the mouththrough the pipe stem of fluids which usually collect in the bottom ofthe bowl.

I claim:

1. A smoking pipe having a bowl member and tubular stem member, saidbowl member having a tobacco holding cavity and said stem member havinga bore, a passageway between the cavity and bore, means within thepassageway having one part thereof constituting a portion of the wall ofthe cavity and adapted to be moved to provide the mouths of openings atdifferent levels to permit smoke to pass from the cavity to the borewhereby smoke can be drawn in by-passing relation with an unburningportion of the tobacco in said bowl and means for moving the first namedmeans.

2. A smoking pipe having a bowl member and tubular stem member, saidbowl member having a tobacco holding cavity and said stem member havinga bore, a passageway between the cavity and bore, means withinthepassageway having one part thereof constituting a portion of the wall ofthe cavity and adapted to be moved to provide the mouths of openings atdifferent levels to permit smoke to pass from the cavity to the borewhereby smoke can be drawn in by-passing relation with an unburningportion of the tobacco in said bowl and means for moving the first-namedmeans, said last-named means having a screw-threaded relation with oneof said first-named members.

3. In a smoking pipe having a bowl member and tubular stem member, saidbowl memberhaving a tobacco holding cavity and said stem member having abore, a passageway between the cavity and bore, means within thepassageway having one part thereof constituting a portion of the wall ofthe cavity and adapted to be moved to provide the mouths of openings atdifferent levels to permit smoke to pass from the cavity to the borewhereby smoke can be drawn in by-passing relation with an unburningportion of the tobacco in said bowl and means for-moving the firstnamedmeans, said last-named means having a screw-threaded relation with oneof said firstnamed members, one of said openings being substantiallyaxially and the other substantially inclined to the bore in the stemmember.

4. A smoking pipe having a bowl member and tubular stem member, saidbowl member having a tobacco holding cavity and said stem member havinga bore, a passageway between the cavity and bore, means within thepassageway having one part thereof constituting a portion of the wall ofthe cavity and adapted to be moved to provide the mouths of openings atdifferent levels to permit smoke to pass from the cavity to the borewhereby smoke can be drawn in by-passing relation with an unburningportion of the tobacco in said bowl and means for moving the firstnamedmeans, said passageway being substantially rectangular in cross-section.

5. In a smoking pipe having a bowl member and tubular stem member, saidbowl member having a tobacco holding cavity and said stem memher havinga bore, a passageway between the cavity and bore, means within thepassageway having one part thereof constituting a portion of the wall ofthe cavity and adapted to be moved to i provide the mouths of openingsat different levels to permit smoke to pass from the cavity to the borewhereby smoke can be drawn in by-passing relation with an unburningportion of the tobacco in said bowl and means for moving the firstnamedmeans in a direction inclined to the axis of the bowl member.

6. A smoking pipe having a bowl member and tubular stem member, saidbowl member having a tobacco holding cavity and said stem member havinga bore, a passageway between the cavity and bore, means within thepassageway having one part thereof constituting a portion of the wall ofthe cavity and adapted to be moved to provide the mouths of openings atdifferent levels to permit smoke to pass from the cavity to the borewhereby smoke can be drawn in by-passing relation with an unburningportion of the tobacco in said bowl and means for moving the first namedmeans in a direction at substantially to the axis of the bowl member.

'7. A smoking pipe having a bowl member and tubular stem member, saidbowl member having a tobacco holding cavity and said stem member havinga bore, a passageway between the cavity and bore, means within thepassageway having one part thereof constituting a portion of the wall ofthe cavity and adapted to be moved to provide the mouths of openings atdifferent levels to permit smoke to pass from the cavity to the borewhereby smoke can be drawn in by-passing relation with an unburningportion of the tobacco in said bowl, the openings formed by thefirstnamed means and the bowl member and the stem member beingsubstantially rectangular in crosssection, and means for moving thefirst-named means.

8. A tobacco pipe comprising a bowl and a tubular stem, the bowl havinga tobacco holding cavity and provided with a tapered opening leadingdirectly from the lower portion of the cavity into the stem, the openinghaving greater height at the cavity side thereof than at the stem side,a plug of substantially corresponding configuration to the openingpositioned in the opening for limited movement therein, one portion ofthe plug at all times constituting a portion of a wall of the cavity,and means connected with the plug and accessible outside of the pipebowl for shifting the plug into either of two positions in the opening,the plug when in one position forming with a wall of the opening apassage leading from the bottom of the bowl into the stem and when inits other position forming an opening leading into the stem from theupper part of the bowl.

ROBERT E. SADTLER.

